Traffic and MACPASS on the Rise
As a user-pay operation, HHB keeps a close eye on the number of vehicles crossing the bridges
Traffic continues to rebound
The shadow cast by COVID on bridge crossings continued to fade in fiscal 2022-2023, with total vehicle traffic by the end of the year returning to 96.8% of the pre-pandemic levels.
“We saw the growth return gradually throughout the fiscal year, moving from 91 per cent in April 2022 to almost 97 per cent in March 2023. This represents an increase in millions of crossings, but we are not all the way back,” says HHB CEO Tony Wright.
Subtle changes in traffic patterns lead him to believe work-from-home opportunities sustained in the wake of the pandemic may be responsible. Those changes include robust weekend traffic that exceeds any pre-COVID levels and the flattening of peak traffic days, with fewer busy days overall.
A review of the annual traffic numbers shows commercial traffic volumes remained steady, the number of vehicles using MACPASS transponders continued to grow and flat tires, mechanical breakdowns and vehicles running out of gas are the top three reasons behind disabled vehicles snarling traffic.
Traffic Rebound Since 2020
MACPASS adoption hits record levels
MACPASS adoption gathered momentum in fiscal 2022-23 with a strong adoption rate throughout the year culminating in a record 8,032 transponders issued in March 2023, the final month of the year.
Mike McFeters, HHB’s CFO responsible for the MACPASS office, said the growth can be attributed to several factors, including paid advertising campaigns, a beefed-up social media strategy and a new partnership with auto glass dealers that allows customers to order a new MACPASS transponder while sitting in the repair shop.
A more recent partnership that makes MACPASS sticker transponders available to new and used car buyers at O’Regans dealerships may also be making a difference.
“As we move toward next-generation tolling options, it’s imperative we have as many of our customers – both commercial and passenger - using MACPASSes,” he said. “Taking cash or billing people based on the address attached to their licence plates are much more labour-intensive processes.”
In the last five months of the year, he said HHB also embarked on a swap program to move existing customers from hard-shell transponders to cheaper and more effective sticker transponders. The project targeted existing customers with known emails, but it is likely to expand to a larger audience in the next fiscal year.
As 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the MACPASS transponder, bridge staff are looking forward to the introduction of a new app that will allow customers to manage their account more effectively from their smartphones or desktop. That project is expected to launch by the fall of 2023.
An internal report detailing annual MACPASS Customer Service Centre metrics shows a relatively high volume of customer phone calls, with an average of almost 300 calls received per day. This highlights the importance of providing efficient and effective customer service to address inquiries and concerns. In concert with that, the statistics suggests the average wait times for customer phone calls was 90 seconds, an indication that the organization can effectively manage and respond to calls in a timely manner, ensuring a positive customer experience.